Well Day 5, Opening day! Been waiting for this day since I found out that I drew this tag with
@publichunter1. I wasn't to sure about what to expect, since we only scouted these few basin's for 1 evening. I made the decision a long time ago that if I like it I'm going to shoot it!
Back to opening morning,
@publichunter1 got up early and headed up to Rob's glassing point with Rob as he walks by our camp every morning to go to the glassing nob. Luckily Rob is looking for really big deer 190"+, he had no problem with us chasing whatever we wanted. I had given
@publichunter1 first dibs on pretty much all the stalks, he had never harvested a forked mule deer. We spotted several bucks on opening morning, there was a group of 4 that bedded in a great place with a good shooter in the bunch. We watched them most of the morning. About 11am I wanna say
@publichunter1 took off after them. Not long after he left, I noticed a small 4 point coming over the rise from the direction of camp. I kept my eye on them and took some phone scope and pictures. At this point I had already lost
@publichunter1 in the first set of tree's.... I continued to watch this other deer and found he had at least 1 other buddy with him. These deer disappeared into a thin long patch of timber, where I figured they would bed for the day, not long after I thought they bedded I was able to spot a 3rd deer in the timber. Dinky 2 point, but he kept looking back and to his left so that is where I decided those bucks had bedded for the day, it was 12:45 in the afternoon. Not long after this I hear some huffing a puffing and here comes
@publichunter1 coming up the south facing slope of the Rob's glassing point lol..... I will let him tell his story on the stalk.
I than told him about the deer I saw and he gladly rested and hung out with the goats while I went and tried a stalk, I was pretty sure non of these bucks were something I would shoot, non of them sparked my interest. But its opening day and I wanted to try my luck on a stalk. Some background on the day, it was blowing quite briskly that afternoon out of the NW, sunny and warm other than the wind.
I made my way off the nob, these deer only bedded 1000 yards from the glassing point and its on the way back to camp. I thought maybe I could loop in below them, but as soon as I dropped off the ridge the wind was going straight in there direction, new plan circle around the other side of them and hopefully not get winded, since I would need to cross directly upwind of them on the ridge. Luckily I used OnX to mark the location of the deer since I would be on the backside of that mountain coming over the top and didn't have much for reference points. Of coarse and I got around the other side and started coming over the top, I'm within 200 yards now, I dropped my pack here, the wind was blowing almost directly to them again...... these deer bedded in the perfect spot! I pushed the envelope and peaked over the nob just in time to see a white butt moving to my left, just walking did not seem spooked what so ever, maybe I got lucky. I quickly backed up, back to the backside of the nob I was on. Circled even further in the direction the deer were moving. Dropped in and had a crosswind now. I still hunted slowly in the direction I last saw the deer. I did not make it far and bumped that little 2pt I saw earlier down here..... moved another 20 yards and got spotted by a super narrow somewhat tall 4pt. dinky deer. No interest in those 2 deer, did not see the 3rd target buck. When I spooked these deer they ran within 150 yards of
@publichunter1 who was keeping a close eye on them just in case they came to close. Well I went back up to the ridge to pick up my pack and head back to camp. On my way back to camp there is a steep gully that runs from the top of the ridge all the way down past camp. Kinda like the gully's that are in the Badlands of SE MT and SW ND. This is where I learned to hunt mule deer with my dad. Well I took a page out of that book and every 30 yards or so I would slowly peek over and scan looking for bedded deer. Well the second time I peeked over I caught movement as I peeked around a tree and down into the gully. The deer had spotted me but had no idea what I was. I did not want to blow him out of there so I didn't go for my bino's instead grabbed my range finder and took a look at him. Wide, long tine's, I think he's got 3 on each, well it took less than a second to decide yes I will shoot a big wide 3x3. I ranged him 58 yards. As slow as I could move I nocked and arrow, adjusted my slider, hooked on my release and drew my bow, I went to look through my peep and not!!! it had gotten turned........... I had to let back down readjust my D loop and draw again. Luckily he could barely see me and it was breezy so the limbs on the tree's were moving and kept him from bolting. He was quartering towards me and laying down with all of his vitals opened up! I drew this time I could see through my peep, there was a slight cross wind, I settled my pin just in front of his rear hip, as I knew at that distance would be about perfect. And released....... Whack! Deer exploded out of there bed's. I see the deer I shot moving to the Right with about 10" of arrow sticking out of his front shoulder, than he disappeared. At that same time a stud 4 point runs straight at me and stops broadside at 30 yards looking back at where the other deer were headed. I tried to get my phone out to take a picture of him but he spotted me and bolted. I was pretty sure it was a good shot but decided to head back to camp and meet
@publichunter1 and the goats. Also camp was only 100 yards away. I had to wait a few minutes for them to show up, so I basked in the moment. This was a dream I had 25 years ago after reading hunting stories of Chuck Adams, Dwight Schuh, and all those great hunters in the 90's that were in Peterson's Bowhunting Magazine on a regular basis.
@publichunter1 walked up to camp tired not even paying attention that I had my bow sitting out and only 3 arrows in my 4 arrow quiver...... I asked him is something missing? he said what? isn't there something missing from my bow? ahhh the light came on, he congratulated me and I told him the recount of the encounter and shot. I had made the decision to wait at least an hour just in case it wasn't as good of penetration as I thought. We were also worried if I did push him with that kind of shot there would be no blood to follow. So we had lunch as I told him the full story after I left him up on the nob.
An hour later I decided I would slip down there myself and see what I could find and if I need him and the goats I would just start hooting and hollering and that would single them to come down. Well I eased down to where the buck was bedded and slowly eased in the direction the deer had ran. Exactly what we figured no blood.... couldn't follow tracks as there were quite a few deer tracks in this spot. So I just walked back and forth in about a 50 yard wide path looking slowly as I moved down the gully. Guess what, it didn't take long, I looked up and there he was piled up not 60 yards from where I shot him! Big bodied, Wide, long tined, 3x3 in full velvet! I was stoked. He actually grew a little when I got up to him. After a couple loud excited yell's
@publichunter1 knew I found him and headed down. After the traditional photo session we got to gutting and gilling with the new Gerber EBS, I can say I really like it. 3 blades for 3 different applications. Enough of my rambling it's picture showing time.
Matt
. We glassed that evening not far from camp, we ended up spotting a few deer, mostly Doe’s and Fawn’s. I don’t believe we spotted any bucks on the 3rd day. Not looking so good until 
not to thrilled about that. Didn’t take us to long to make it pretty close to where we wanted. Now finding a camp spot before we get soaked! As we were scrambling to find a camp spot we found a nice glassing nob. So we decided we needed a camp relatively close. Thanks to 
. I was excited to spot one forky close and then a nice group of bucks that had three shooters.
